My Story

“Look through the outer crust of personal adornment, clothes, so-called culture and the like, and down deep into the heart of all about him. […] An old farmer up in Vermont always used to wind up his prayers with this plea: ‘Oh, God, give me an open mind!’ If more people followed his example they might escape being hamstrung by prejudices. And what a pleasant place to live in the world would be.” —Napoleon Hill

You may think that people who dress outrageously just want to get attention or are in a phase, but you would be wrong.

When I was a freshman in high school, I dreamed of being a fashion designer. My Goth friends actually couldn’t wait to go to school just to see what I was wearing, but I still had to sneak out of the house wearing “normal” clothes and change in the restroom every morning. Eventually I got tired of the stares; it only exaggerated the shyness in my head. I have struggled for years to make my exterior match my interior because I felt forced to give off a false impression of who I am to pay my bills. Sometimes this would even translate into looking happy when I feel an opposite emotion. Is this not ridiculous?

I have met people who dress outrageously every day and will never stop in all walks of life. There are people who just dress the way their religion dictates among those who do not share their belief or understand even one minor concept of their belief. This is courage, not attention-getting, and those who dress for less than noble reasons make things difficult for the rest of us who just want freedom. The courageous will never compromise their freedom for money. I was not one of them, but I want to make life better for them and for me. I see people who have compromised, had meltdowns, covered themselves in tattoos when they decided to quit compromising, then struggled financially. But why is compromise necessary? Why indeed? Not everyone who has a tattoo wants to work in a tattoo parlor for the rest of their lives, and not everyone who has a salaried job wants to wear a suit and tie for the rest of their lives.

Those who fit neither group go to Renaissance festivals, dance clubs, gay bars, or anime conventions to feel free on the weekends or maybe just once a year, but such things are a package deal and not everyone is interested in the entire package because oftentimes it involves peer pressure or spending a lot of cash.

The movement will not be over until dressing for success has nothing to do with a suit and tie. Sure, you can wear that if it makes you feel good, but you can’t expect that it will make everyone feel good.

Your life will be greatly improved when you can feel comfortable in your own skin and fantastic in your own clothing and allow other people to feel the same way.

2 thoughts on “My Story”

Superb blog! Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
I’m hoping to start my own website soon but I’m a little lost on everything.
Would you suggest starting with a free platform like
Wordpress or go for a paid option? There are so
many options out there that I’m totally overwhelmed ..
Any recommendations? Thanks a lot!